SIR JOHN FROISSART
Chronicles of England, France, Spain and the adjoining countries
from the latter part of the reign of Edward II to the coronation of Henry IV. Vol.6
page 323

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hôtel, and fpoke fo loud that every one heard him. f Herald, whence doft thou come ?' ' My lord,' replied the herald, .* I come from the French army, where I have feen the fineft men at arms, • and in fuch vaft numbers that there is not at this day another king who can (hew the like.*
c And thefe fine men at arms which thou art .fpeaking of/ faid fir Hugh, *what number are they?' 'By my faith, my lord, they are full twenty-fix thoufand men at arms: handfomer nor better armed were never feen.'
cHa, ha!' replied fir Hugh, who was much provoked at the latter part of his fpeech, c thou art a fine fellow to come and mock us with this pompous tale. I know well thou haft lied; for many a time have I feen the*armies of France, but they never amounted to twenty-fix thoufand $ no, not even to fix thoufand men at arms.'
As he faid this, the watch of the town, who was at his poft, founded his trumpet, for the van of the enemy was about paffing near the walls. • . Sir Hugh then, addreffing the knights and fquires prefent, faid 5 •* Come, come : let us go and fee thefe twenty-fix thoufand men at arms march by, for our watch blows his horn/ They went on the walls of the place, and, leanftig on them, obferved the march of the van, which might have confifted of about fifteen hundred lances, with the conftable, the marfhals, the mafter of the crofs-bows and the lord de Coucy. Next came; the duke of Brittany, the earl of Flanders and the count de St. Pol, who had un-

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